Bureau chief covered politics of early statehood

FORREST L. BLACK / FORMER STAR-BULLETIN REPORTER

Forrest L. Black, who was the Honolulu Star-Bulletin's legislative bureau chief when Hawaii became a state, died Oct. 28 at his home in Drexel Hill, Pa. He was 75.

Black arrived in Honolulu in May 1959 with his wife, Mary, and 2-month-old daughter, Susan. Their son, Jonathan, was born in Honolulu on Christmas Day 1960.

He was with the Star-Bulletin for four years, covering state government, politics and City Hall. He received a distinguished reporting award for political writing in 1962 from the American Political Science Association and an award from the Honolulu Press Association.

Black left Honolulu in 1963 to join the Philadelphia Bulletin, where he spent most of his career. He also worked for the Evansville (Ind.) Courier, the Indianapolis Times and as public relations director for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

He was born in Russell, Ky., and grew up in Toledo, Ohio, where he graduated from the University of Toledo. He served in the U.S. infantry during the Korean War.

Survivors besides his wife and two children include four grandchildren and his brother, Thomas.